Zelenskyy: Russia Doing ‘Everything’ to Prevent Leader Meeting

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday that Russia is doing everything possible to prevent a meeting between him and Vladimir Putin. He also urged Ukraine’s allies to impose new sanctions on Moscow if it continues to show no interest in achieving peace.
During a joint press conference in Kyiv with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Zelenskiy noted that they had discussed the issue of security guarantees for Ukraine from other countries. He stated that these guarantees should be similar to NATO’s Article 5, which treats an attack on one member as an attack on all.
“This is the beginning of a big undertaking, and it is not easy, because guarantees consist of what our partners can give Ukraine, as well as what the Ukrainian army should be like, and where we can find opportunities for the army to maintain its strength,” Zelenskiy said.
He called on Ukraine’s partners to pressure Russia into adopting “at least a minimally productive position.”
Zelenskiy has repeatedly called for a face-to-face meeting with Putin. During a recent visit to Washington by European leaders, U.S. President Donald Trump said the Russian leader had agreed to such talks in a phone call.
“The Russians are doing everything they can to prevent the meeting from taking place,” Zelenskiy said on Friday. “Unlike Russia, Ukraine is not afraid of any meeting with leaders.”